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The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Global Aging Studyon Retirement in July 2005 showed that 40 percent of global respondents intend to work in one form or another after they officially retire. Nearly 70 percent of U.S. respondents are interested in working during retirement, while only 15 percent of the survey participants from France would consider employment after they retire.

People reported that staying actively involved in something they enjoy provides a slightly greater motivation to work than earning money. And attitudes about working during retirement may be changing. A recent study conducted by UBS in the U.S. found that 77 percent of respondents expect to engage in part-time work during retirement, either to earn a major or a minor supplement to retirement income, up from 70 percent 10 years ago.

Both of these issues---working during retirement and age of retirement---are important from a public policy perspective because the more people are willing to generate income for themselves later in life, the more that taxes on that income will help to alleviate pressures on the financing of old-age entitlement programs.

Source: The Wall Street Journal, December 16, 2006 and UBS Research Focus, "Demographics: A Coming of Age," Wealth Management Research, April 2006 www.ubs.com/wmresearch

A study by the Boston College Center on Aging and Work suggests that 50 percent to 60 percent of retirees will be competing for "bridge jobs," part-time or short-duration work for five years or more following retirementfrom a primary career.

The study notes that the need for continuing income arises from "fundamental changes in Social Security, private pensions, health and longevity that means many Americans will be unable to finance 20 or more years of leisure later in life without a significant reduction in living standards."

Retail employers have begun to welcome bridge job workers, who are drawn by the 15 percent to 20 percent store discounts often offered to employees, according to the study. Retailers are eager to accommodate older workers' part-time schedules and part-time workers frequently turn into reliable full-time employees.

A survey by Washington-based Matthew Greenwald and Associates for the Center of Retirement Research at Boston College reports that 400 private-sector for-profit and nonprofit organizations found employers view older workers as quite productive. However, the survey notes that positive evaluations of the productivity of older workers do not necessarily translate into actual employment opportunities.

Predicting what Baby Boomers actually will do as they age is always a chancy exercise.

A number of surveys have shown that about two-thirds to three-quarters of Baby Boomers expect to work for payafter retiring. Staying active as we age can promote mental and physical health and the added income can patch any cracks in our nest eggs.

One way to gauge expectations about working in retirement is to look at the experiences of people who have already retired.

A survey published earlier this year by the Employee Benefit Research Institute in Washington found that just 27% of surveyed retirees had ever worked for pay while in retirement. A similar study published in September by the Pew Research Center, also in Washington, found that only 12% of current retirees are collecting a salary.

The problem with working after retirement is that you may not be able to work. Developing health problems may prevent you from finding the kind of work you want or jobs could be in short supply. In fact, many workers in their 50s and 60s are having a tough time keeping jobs they have today. A study published this year by McKinsey & Co., a consulting firm, found that 40% of surveyed retirees had to stop working earlier than planned, a consequence primarily of layoffs and poor health.

"There's a big disconnect between what people say they will do, or might do, versus what people are doing," says Cary Funk, senior project director at the Pew Center.

The Internet has special appeal for Baby Boomers, an impatient lot used to getting their way.According to JupiterResearch, 15 percent of Internet users between the ages of 45 and 54 browsed dating sites last year—almost as much as the average online user.

Internet dating is quick, it's efficient. Boomers searching for same-age partners can comb through sites like PerfectMatch.com (63 percent are 35 to 60) and PrimeSingles.net, a 50-plus site whose membership grew 39 percent in 2005. "As people get older, they definitely start dropping a lot of the look requirements they have in their mind," says Joe Tracy, publisher of the Web-based Online Dating Magazine. "They're more successful at finding what they want, and that's why they do well with personality sitesthat match them; it's easier for them to skip over the players."

At "compatibility sites," where people are matched by the results of personality tests, there's who a race to lure boomers who can pay the heftier membership fees. Chemistry.com, a new brand from Match.com, and eHarmony.com have both hired social scientists who they hope will make their questionnaire-to-romance algorithms more credible. Over at Chemistry.com, anthropologist Helen Fisher has been pondering this: "Fifty percent of personality is based in genetics, brain chemistry and hormones, so maybe we are attracted to somebody not only because of all of the social and psychological reasons but for chemical reasons, too."

Roughly 78 million Boomers will each donate an average of $6,000 to their favorite causes, Fidelity Investments found in a recent survey. In 2005, they gave an average of $5,000 each or $79 billion in total. This year, U.S. Baby Boomers are expected to give roughly $100 billion to charity, marking a 25 percent increase from 2005.

Opinion Research Corporation polled 1,015 people between Sept. 27 and Oct. 4 about how and what they plan to give to charity this year. Against a backdrop of a stable U.S. economy and a rising stock market, Americans between the ages of about 40 and 60 feel they have a little bit more cash to spare this year, said David Giunta, president of the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund.

But looking further into the future, Baby Boomersworry that they will not be able to give as generously during their retirement years as they do now, the survey found. A survey by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans released last month shows that roughly 25 percent of Baby Boomers have saved nothing for retirement.

There is so much stuff in the blog-o-sphere, just finding what interests you can be difficult.

If there is a topic you are interested in, like what's happening with Baby Boomers today, following a blog carnival is a great way to learn what people are saying about that topic.

A blog carnival is a special kind of blog community.

There are many kinds of blogs, and they contain articles on several different topics. Blog carnivals typically collect links pointing to blog articles on a particular topic. A blog carnival is like a special interest magazine. It has a title, a topic that flows through its postings, editors, contributors, and an focused audience. Editions of the carnival typically come out on a regular basis, like every Monday.

As parents and grandparents, we would like to help children learn through play. The holidays present an opportunity to provide gifts that allow them to imagine, create and explore. But finding ways to make your holiday gift stand out takes some thought about what would make the young recipient happy.

Merchants in your mailbox or computer help you choose just the right thing by flipping through their catalog or visiting their website. From the MetKids (The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store) to Cricket (Cricket Magazine Group) to Discovery Channel Store to Young Explorers, catalogs may help you find just the right gift to make a difference in a child's life by inspiring him or her to read, make music, draw, build, create, imagine and explore.

Spending parental energy on teaching the child good manners, respect for authority and other practical life skills is important. Knowing right from left and right from wrong matters. How to pay attention to an adult leads to basic manners. Entering a room quietly, knowing how to tie shoes, listening to an adult read a story and patiently wait their turn opens the door to learning.

Helping children develop concentration and task commitment along with a love for work is a cornerstone of the Montessori approach. Montessori fosters creativity, self-confidence and an entrepreneurial spirit according to its graduates. Here is what a couple of successful grads have to say:

When Barbara Walters interviewed Sergey Brin and Larry Page, the co-founders of Google, they didn't attribute their remarkable success to universities, like Sanford or Michigan, but give credit to their Montessori schools. According to Brin, the Montessori approach instilled in them self-direction and self-motivation, an inclination to challenge the status quo and to do things differently.

The Internet has become deeply embedded in our daily lives...even for 5-year olds.

My grandson, who was 5 in August, loves to play games on kids' websites. He is beginning to read what's on the computer screen, as well as in his library of children's books. Today, 71 percent of American households have Web access and that is where many children spend their time at play. That's why an online book club for kids may be of interest to the young people in your life. I encourage you to take a moment to check out a sample kid's story and enjoy the holiday spirit in the midst of the busyness around us all at this time of the year.

Take a look atone or both of these sample holiday storiesto get a feel for how they help young people read while at play:The Electric Star Storyor The Greatest Christmas Gift.This online children's book club is the kind of holiday gift that keeps on giving throughout the New Year while making a difference in a child's life.